Lesson 1

My first experiment was a mess, and I deserved it.

As I shook my Rival 4-quart stainless steel Crock-Pot (TM, where's my check?) free from its styrofoam enclosure a few days after the holidays, a coupon fell out for $1 off a bagged meal. You know, like those quick skillet dinners. It kind of floored me, honestly. Isn't slow-cooking easy enough--why would you need to buy a meal pre-packaged? Sometimes, laziness knows no bounds.



I grabbed the "Chicken with Red Skin and Vegetables" flavor and set it on low for an overnight cooking session (8-10 hours). I thought it'd be better to try this before leaving the house and coming home hungry, and being pissed if it didn't turn out right. This way, I could check on the heating and timing capabilities of my machine, and maybe take some along for lunch. I was a little worried--look at those "chicken" pieces! Gross. But 9 hours later, I woke to a surprisingly pleasant scent, and a future of warm, fragrant, magically-cooked meals stretched out in my mind. I elbowed my still-sleeping boyfriend: "Hey! Can you smell that??" "What?" he said, the you're crazy look on his face, and turned over, not yet interested in the delightful cuisine.



I went to check on it, and as you can see, what "sauce" there may have been had dissolved into unappetizing little bits. The carrots, onions and celery looked good, but the "chicken" looked even worse. "Like little pieces of lung," said the boyfriend. I abandoned it, dejected. "I'll eat it with some rice," he continued. His stomach did not thank him. I probably should've taken it out at 8 hours, but I slept in. No matter, the verdict is in: nasty, and not recommended.